Best Bedding To Be Used With Baby Chicks????

[chefchick]

Good luck with your babies! It sounds like you are going to be a great chicken mom! btw... I use puppy training pads for the first few days, then pine shavings

 

[yolka doodle]

Hi All. i am sooooo confused now, my chicks are on wood shavings and they are shaking their heads, i have read it can be the shavings or AE. as they do not do it while sleeping i think that rules out AE. Lots of people have advised pine shavings but i have now read uner "Managing your flock" there is a thread stating Pine and Cedar shavings are dangerous especially to chicks. I also wanted to know what to put in so they can dust as they are trying to do it on the shavings, i was advised sand, now i have read that can be dangerous too. i might do half paper towel half Alpha hay?

 

[king4]

Hi All. i am sooooo confused now, my chicks are on wood shavings and they are shaking their heads, i have read it can be the shavings or AE. as they do not do it while sleeping i think that rules out AE. Lots of people have advised pine shavings but i have now read uner "Managing your flock" there is a thread stating Pine and Cedar shavings are dangerous especially to chicks. I also wanted to know what to put in so they can dust as they are trying to do it on the shavings, i was advised sand, now i have read that can be dangerous too. i might do half paper towel half Alpha hay?

ive have pine shavings in with my chicks since i got them last thursday, which they was about a week or so old when i got them and have had no problems. not trying to sound like i know more than anyone,cause i dont,just sharing my experience so far.

 

[yolka doodle]

Thank you King4, everyone has been very helpful. I am going to try pine shavings today at the moment they are sound asleep bless

 

[dennymeyrand]

I was told they would be fine right on the 1/2" hardware cloth. Has anyone done this or do I need to use some kind of bedding?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Thank you King4, everyone has been very helpful. I am going to try pine shavings today at the moment they are sound asleep bless

I have raised chicks on pine shavings for years. Lots of chicks. I've never had a problem, no respiratory problems, no problems with chicks supposedly eating shavings, nothing. I think these days a lot of people tend to overthink a lot of things and that includes bedding. Yes there are some things that are better not to use, such as cedar. Otherwise, do what's easy for you to keep clean. Pine shavings or pellets are very easy. Most pine shavings you buy at any feed or pet store will be kiln dried and screened to keep dust to a minimum. I've heard good things about chopped straw if you can find it. Some people use hay, don't care for it myself as I've had curious chicks eat to much and have crop issues.

As far as the 1/2" hardware cloth for flooring? I know there are people who use wiring flooring for chicks, I don't care for it myself, for any animal actually. There's always the potential for toes or feet getting caught. Not all the poop falls through and once some is stuck more builds up. So eventually you either have to find a way to clean it or you have dirty flooring. And the way chicks sleep, all sprawled out on the floor, I like them to have a soft, warm bed. But, like I said, some people raise chicks on wire and like it.

 

[kemclaughlin]

We use the pellets, just count on them expanding as they get wet. We never have problems with odor, we change it because it looks gross, long before it smells. I didn't wet them down, and had not ever heard that they could break legs. Be careful they don't get damp. Damp chicks= dead chicks.

 

[StevieChicks]

We are using sand in our brooder. Peeps are 4 days old and seem very happy! It's easy to scoop out and keep clean, stays warm under the light and the girls are already scratching and dust bathing in it!

 

[dennymeyrand]

I started thinking about it, and I think I will put something down for them for the first week or 2 then go to the wire floor only.

 

[tinah]

a wire floor is not appropriate for anything.